Assistant, Programmatic Funds (Accelerating Interoperability and Standardization)
JOB DETAIL
*Pending Budget Approval*
1. SUMMARY
The Defence Investment (DI) Division is responsible for facilitating the development and adoption of cutting-edge, innovative and interoperable capabilities, critical to ensuring the Alliance’s ability to undertake the full spectrum of missions and operations. Key lines of effort include:
- leading the development of major complex capability programmes in the land, maritime, air and space domains – including on Air and Missile Defence, Alliance Future Surveillance and Control capability (follow on to AWACS), Air Command and Control (Air C2), Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) assets and other critical Consultation, Command & Control (C3) networks – and in doing so addressing all policy, political-military, technical and practical aspects;
- leading NATO’s policy and engagements in the aviation domain;
- pursuing interoperability through prioritised standardization efforts, developing with Allies new approaches to operational challenges, supported by a commitment to operational experimentation and innovation;
- leading NATO engagement with Defence Industry and working to ensure the resilience and robustness of the transatlantic Defence Industrial Base;
- maintaining the Alliance’s technological edge through exploring and driving adoption of emerging and disruptive technologies, with a particular focus on autonomous systems;
- facilitating multinational cooperation in capability development through a series of specific initiatives tackling critical capability requirements;
- understanding, adapting to, and pro-actively addressing climate change;
- informing and responding to the Alliance’s evolving capability needs through NATO Defence Planning;
- providing oversight to NATO Agencies involved in capability development and delivery (in particular NATO Communication and Information Agency and NATO Support and Procurement Agency)
- working with a range of key stakeholders within NATO including the Strategic Commands and externally with NATO Partners and relevant international and regional organisations including the EU, as well as with industry and academia.
The Strategy Directorate is responsible for providing overall coherence of capability deliverables through policies, plans and links with external stakeholders.
Within the Strategy Directorate, the Capability Delivery Section (CDS) focuses on the delivery of NATO capabilities in the multinational NATO environment working with external governmental, military and industrial stakeholders. The Directorate supports the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), the senior North Atlantic Council (NAC) body responsible for the promotion of armaments cooperation in the Alliance.
The incumbent’s main responsibility is to efficiently handle the administrative and organisational support for the operation of the materiel standardization portfolio handled by the Division. Contracting and financial management of Programmatic Funds, in particularly the Accelerating Interoperability and Standardization (AIS) Fund, will be an essential facet of the function.
2. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
The incumbent must:
- have a good general education at least to higher secondary level complemented by training in accountancy, finance or business administration;
- have 6 years of relevant experience in a secretarial, administrative or project management capacity;
- have experience in using an ERP system or other commercial off-the-shelf accounting and/or procurement software;
- possess excellent communication skills;
- possess the following minimum levels of NATO’s official languages (English/French): V (“Advanced”) in one; II (“Elementary”) in the other;
- have strong computer skills or knowledge of standard information technology systems and software (spread sheets, databases), including the use of Microsoft Office;
- be willing to travel and work outside of normal working hours, when requested.
DESIRABLE
The following would be considered an advantage:
- experience in conference organisation and/or programme administration;
- experience in financial book-keeping;
- experience of working in an International Organisation or international environment;
- formal project management training
Expertise Development
Practise and update administrative and technical skills. Maintain knowledge and understanding of NATO. Coordinate AIS financial matters and other programmatic fund issues with the NATO Financial Controller. Support the DI Administrative Officer by ensuring that proper financial procedures are followed in the AIS activities requiring funding.
Information Management
Under the guidance of the AIS Fund Manager/Officer: take notes and minutes at meetings and prepare the agenda, reports and action documentation resulting from these meetings in accordance with NATO administrative procedures; edit and issue final reports; draft memoranda and cover letters to documents and publications forwarded to national and NATO authorities.
Knowledge Management
Maintain and update Intranet web-pages, as well as conduct basic research on standardization needs, stakeholders and project themes related to the AIS fund. Keep records of all financial transactions.
Financial Management
Prepare the necessary financial documents and ensure that financial files are correctly processed. Support the DI Administrative Officer by ensuring that proper financial procedures are followed for the AIS activities requiring funding.
Planning and Execution
Plan, prepare and support the meetings and events and handle related details such as development of agendas and coordination of documents related to the meetings. Issue and monitor the invoicing and payment processes for the AIS Fund and other programmatic funds. Provide general and office support as required.
Project Management
Oversee and monitor the execution of projects related to the AIS fund and other programmatic funds.
Organisational Efficiencies
Contribute towards continuous improvement in administrative processes relating to the support of various committees.
Stakeholder Management
Work with committee Chairmen and national delegates in their participation in the work and activities of the Section as required. Maintain liaison with the staff of other NATO bodies whose work relates to the Section’s activities as required ensuring efficiency in daily management of workload and processes.
Perform any other related duty as assigned.
4. INTERRELATIONSHIPS
The incumbent reports to the Head of Section and maintains close working relationships with other staff across the Directorate, and contact persons in other Directorates, Divisions, Delegations and International Organisations as required. S/he supports the work of the Defence Investment Division Officers and colleagues and national Delegates attending committees.
Direct reports: N/a
Indirect reports: N/a.
5. COMPETENCIES
The incumbent must demonstrate:
- Clarity and Accuracy: Monitors others’ work for clarity;
- Customer Service Orientation: Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems;
- Empathy: Reads non-verbal cues and understands meanings;
- Flexibility: Acts with flexibility;
- Initiative: Is decisive in a time-sensitive situation;
- Organisational Awareness: Understands organisational climate and culture;
- Teamwork: Solicits inputs and encourages others.
In accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations, the successful candidate will receive a definite duration contract of three years, which may be followed by an indefinite duration contract.
7. USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that we can only accept applications from nationals of NATO member countries. Applications must be submitted using e-recruitment system, as applicable:
- For NATO civilian staff members only: please apply via the internal recruitment portal (link);
- For all other applications: www.nato.int/recruitment
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More information about the recruitment process and conditions of employment, can be found at our website (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/recruit-hq-e.htm)
Appointment will be subject to receipt of a security clearance (provided by the national Authorities of the selected candidate), approval of the candidate’s medical file by the NATO Medical Adviser, verification of your study(ies) and work experience, and the successful completion of the accreditation and notification process by the relevant authorities.
NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.
